Compact laser package with integrated temperature control

ABSTRACT

A compact laser package with integrated temperature control is disclosed. In one embodiment, the compact laser package that includes a housing, a window through the housing, a laser emitter disposed in the housing, and an active temperature control device disposed in the housing. The laser emitter is disposed on the active temperature control device and aligned such that optical signals generated by the laser emitter can be emitted through the window without a waveguide. Additionally, the housing has an outline similar to that of a transistor-can. Temperature measuring device and laser power detection device may also be integrated within the laser package.

[0001] The present application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application filed Sep. 6, 2001 and bearing attorney docket number 9775-0063-888, which is hereby incorporated by reference.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] The present application is related to co-pending United States non-provisional application entitled Optoelectronic Module with Thermally Isolated Components, filed herewith and bearing attorney docket number 9775-0059-999, and co-pending United States non-provisional application entitled Control Circuit for Optoelectronic Module with Integrated Temperature Control, filed herewith and bearing attorney docket number 9775-0065-999. These related applications are hereby incorporated by reference.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0003] The present invention relates generally to optical components, and more particularly, to a compact laser package having integrated temperature control.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0004] It is well known that varying the temperature of a laser diode (which is a type of laser emitter) may affect the wavelength (X) of the emitted optical signal. For some applications, the wavelength of the optical signal is not critical, and a heat sink is generally sufficient for cooling a laser diode for these applications. Optical signals with precise wavelengths are required for some applications such as Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM), however. For those applications, a laser diode must be maintained at a precise temperature, and a heat sink alone is not sufficient.

[0005] Some conventional laser diode packages contain a large built-in temperature controller to control the temperature of the laser diode. Some laser packages even contain an elaborate built-in coolant-circulation system for cooling the laser diode. Because of their large size, such conventional laser diode packages cannot be easily incorporated into pluggable fiber optic transceiver or transmitter modules, which typically have strict form factor requirements.

[0006] In addition, conventional laser diode packages containing large built-in temperature controllers consume a significant amount of power. Many industry standards for pluggable transceiver or transmitter module have strict limitations on power consumption. These limitations make it even more difficult to incorporate conventional laser packages with large temperature controllers into pluggable transceiver or transmitter modules.

[0007] Accordingly, there exists a need for an apparatus for precisely controlling the temperature of a laser diode without using a laser diode package that contains a large built-in temperature controller such that temperature control functionality can be implemented in an optoelectronic transceiver or transmitter modules.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0008] An embodiment of the present invention is a laser package that includes a housing, a window through the housing, a laser emitter disposed in the housing, and an active temperature control device disposed in the housing. In this embodiment, the laser emitter is affixed to the active temperature control device and aligned such that optical signals generated by the laser emitter can be emitted through the window without a waveguide. Additionally, the housing has an outline similar to that of a transistor-outline can. Thus, the compact laser package can be utilized in optoelectronic transceiver or transmitter modules that meet standardized form factor requirements.

[0009] In one embodiment, the housing of the laser package includes a header structure and a header can that is configured to mate with the header structure. In some embodiments, a hole in the header can may be used as the window. Alternatively, a piece of glass and/or a lens may be integrated with the header can to form the window.

[0010] In one embodiment, the active temperature control device includes thermoelectric elements (TEC) configured to regulate temperature of the laser emitter. Additionally, the active temperature control device may include a temperature measuring device operable to measure temperature of the laser emitter and a light intensity sensing device operable to measure the intensity of the optical signals emitted by the laser emitter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] For a better understanding of the invention, reference should be made to the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0012]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a header subassembly according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0013]FIG. 2 is a side view of the header subassembly shown in FIG. 1.

[0014]FIG. 3 is a top view of the header subassembly shown in FIG. 1.

[0015]FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an active temperature control device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0016]FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a header can configured to be coupled to the header subassembly of FIG. 1.

[0017]FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a header subassembly according to an alternate embodiment of the present invention.

[0018]FIG. 7 is a perspective view of an active temperature control device according to an alternate embodiment of the present invention.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0019] Preferred embodiments of the invention are described below. In the interest of clarity, not all features of an actual implementation are described. It will be appreciated that in the development of any such implementation, numerous implementation-specific decisions must be made to achieve the developers' specific goals, such as compliance with system-related and business-related constraints and compliance with the requirements of various existing and yet to be determined form factors. Moreover, it will be appreciated that such a development effort might be complex and time-consuming, but would nevertheless be a routine undertaking for those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure.

[0020]FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 are respectively a perspective view, a side view and a top view of a header subassembly 100 that includes a header structure 102 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. The header structure 102 is configured to mate with a header can 300, a perspective view of which is illustrated in FIG. 5. In the present embodiment, the header can 300 and the header structure 102 together form the housing of a laser package. The housing of the laser package has a window 304 and assumes a shape similar to that of a transistor outline (TO) package. Thus, the laser package according to the present invention can be fitted within optoelectronic transceiver or transmitter modules that are constructed according to standardized form factor requirements.

[0021] In furtherance of the present embodiment, the physical dimensions of the transceiver or transmitter module are as follows: width, 3 cm or less; length, 6.5 cm or less, and height, 1.2 cm or less. A GBIC standard (SFF-8053 GBIC standard version 5.5) requires the dimensions of a module housing to be approximately 3 cm×6.5 cm×1.2 cm. Thus, the transceiver or transmitter module of this embodiment meets the form factor requirements of the GBIC standard.

[0022] In another embodiment, the physical dimensions of the module housing are: width, 0.54 inches or less; length, 2.24 inches or less; and height, 0.34 inches or less. The SFP MSA (Small Form Factor Pluggable Multisource Agreement) requires the dimensions of a compliant module housing to be approximately 0.54″×2.24″×0.34″. Thus, the module housing of that embodiment meets the form factor requirements of the SFP standard. Note that the present invention is not limited to the form factor requirements described above. A person of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure will appreciate that the present invention is adaptable to various existing or yet to be determined transceiver or transmitter module form factors, some of which can be smaller.

[0023] As shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, the header structure 102 is shaped to receive an active temperature control device 200. A laser emitter (e.g., a laser diode) 106 is mounted to the active temperature control device 200 via a laser submount 108. The laser submount 108 is preferably made of aluminum nitride or silicon, and the laser submount 108 may incorporate one or more integrated passive components, such as resistors, capacitors, and inductors, to provide improved impedance matching and signal conditioning. Significantly, the laser emitter 106 is positioned and aligned with the window 304 such that optical signals generated by the laser emitter 106 are aimed at and transmitted through the window 304. The optical signals are communicated to the exterior of the laser package without using waveguides (e.g., optical fibers). In the illustrated embodiment, the laser emitter 106 is positioned approximately at the center of the header subassembly and close to the window 304.

[0024] In one embodiment, the laser emitter 106 is an edge emitter. In alternative embodiments, a Vertical Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser (VCSEL) or any other suitable source of optical signals may be used.

[0025] As is understood by one skilled in the art, an edge emitter laser emits optical signals in both the forward direction and the backward direction. Forward direction refers to the direction in which the optical signals have the strongest intensity, while backward direction refers to the opposite direction. The laser intensity in the backward direction is proportional to the laser intensity in the forward direction. Thus, it is useful to measure the intensity of the laser in the backward direction in order to track the laser intensity in the forward direction. Accordingly, a photo-diode 126 is positioned to sense the intensity of the optical signals emitted by the laser emitter 106 in the backward direction. The photo-diode 126 is mechanically attached to the active temperature control device 200 via a photo-diode submount 128. The temperature of the photo-diode 126 is regulated by the active temperature control device 200. Thus, temperature sensitive fluctuations in the light intensity measurements made by the photo-diode 126 can be substantially eliminated.

[0026] Also shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3 is a thermistor 122. The thermistor 122, which is operable to measure the temperature of the laser emitter 106, is preferably mounted to a top portion 112 of the active temperature control device 200, at a position that is close to the laser emitter 106. Temperature measurements from the thermistor 122 are communicated through bond wires 110 (FIG. 3) and leads 104 (FIGS. 1, 2) to an external control circuit (outside the housing), which in turn adjusts the control signals to the active temperature control device 200. Specifically, depending on the temperature of the laser emitter 106, the control circuit sends appropriate control signals to drive appropriate amount of electric currents through the active temperature control device 200 to control the direction and amount of heat flow. A control circuit that may be used in conjunction with the present invention is described in the aforementioned patent application entitled “Control Circuit for Optoelectronic Module with Integrated Temperature Control.”

[0027] Attention now turns to FIG. 4, which depicts a perspective view of the active temperature control device 200 according to the present embodiment. As depicted, the active temperature control device 200 includes a base 118, a top portion 112 with an approximately L-shaped cross-section, and a plurality of thermoelectric elements 114 disposed between the base 118 and the top portion 112. The base 118 has two bond pads 116 that are coupled electrically to the thermoelectric elements 114 and to two of the package leads 104 to allow external control signals and power to be provided to the thermoelectric elements 114. The top portion 112 has a surface 130 that is approximately perpendicular to the base 118 and two surfaces 132 and 133 that are approximately parallel to the base 118. According to one embodiment, the laser emitter 106 is mounted on the surface 130 via laser submount 108, the thermistor 122 is mounted on the surface 133, and the photo-diode 126 is mounted on surface 132 via photo-diode submount 128. The thermoelectric elements 114 are configured to transfer heat from the top portion 112 to the base 118, or vice versa, depending on the direction of electric currents (provided via bond pads 116) that are driven through these thermoelectric elements 114. In one particular embodiment, the top portion 112 and the base 118 are passive heat sinks made of a ceramic material that includes beryllium oxide (BeO). Furthermore, in one particular embodiment, the thermoelectric elements may be made of a material that includes Bismuth Telluride (Bi₂Te₃). In one embodiment, the leads 104 are made of a material called Kovar (a composition that includes iron, nickel, and cobalt, and small quantities (less than 1%) of manganese, silicon, aluminum, magnesium, zirconium, titanium and carbon). Kovar is a trademark of Westinghouse Electric & Manufacturing Company.

[0028] With reference again to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, the header structure 102 includes multiple leads 104 for connecting components inside the laser package 100 to the exterior of the laser package. Note that some of the leads 104 are longer than others such that short bond wires can be used. For instance, two relatively shorter leads are used to couple to the bond pads 116, which are located at the base 118. Two medium length leads are configured to couple to the photo-diode 126, which is mounted farther away from the base 118 than the bond pads 116. Four relatively longer leads are configured to coupled to the laser emitter 106 and the thermistor 122, which are located even farther away from the base 118 than the photo-diode 126.

[0029] In one embodiment, the header structure 102 may be made by metal injection molding (MIM). The material used for making the header structure 102 should be suitable for MIM, resistance welding of the header can, glass sealing of leads for hermiticity, and plating. In addition, high thermal conductivity is desired. While many materials meet the aforementioned requirements, cold-rolled steel is presently preferred. Other materials that may be used include an alloy know as “Alloy42” and Copper Tungsten (CuW).

[0030] Bond wires 110, which are not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 to avoid obscuring aspects of the invention, are illustrated in FIG. 3. Specifically, in the illustrated embodiment, a pair of the bond wires 110 connect the laser emitter 106 and the laser submount 108 to two leads 104, another pair of the bond wires 110 connect the thermistor 122 to two of the leads 104, another pair of bond wires 110 connect the photo-diode 126 and the photo-diode submount 128 to two of the leads 104, while yet another pair of bond wires 110 connect the bond pads 116 to the leads 104. In other embodiments, bond wires 110 do not directly connect the laser emitter 106 to the leads 104. In those embodiments, bond wires 110 connect the laser submount 108 to the leads 104. One terminal of the laser emitter 106 is in direct contact with the laser submount 108, and another terminal of the laser emitter 106 is connected to the laser submount via another bond wire.

[0031] In present embodiments, the bond wires 110 are preferably made of gold with diameters of about {fraction (1/1000)} of an inch. The lengths of the bond wires 110 are preferably as short as possible so that they can transmit optical signal data at a high rate. The impedance of the bond wires in present embodiments is matched to those of the leads 104 so as to avoid signal-reflections.

[0032] Attention now turns to FIG. 5, which depicts a perspective view of a header can 300 configured for coupling to the header subassembly 100 to form a laser package. In one embodiment, the header can 300 includes a body 301 preferably made of an alloy known as “Alloy 42”, which is an alloy of nickel and iron, or other suitable material. Preferably, the body 301 is plated with electrolysis nickel. The window 304 is situated approximately at the center of the body 301 to transmit optical signals emitted by the laser emitter 106. The window 304, in one embodiment, includes a piece of ultra flat, thin glass with a thickness of approximately 0.008 inches. The glass is preferably soldered to the body 301 to form a hermetic seal and is preferably coated with an anti-reflective coating. In other embodiments, the window 304 may include a piece of glass having a lens integrated therein to focus of the optical signals generated by the laser emitter 106. A window is different from a port, which transmits optical signals through a collimator such as an optical wave guide or an optical fiber; in contrast, no collimator is required to transmit optical signals through a window.

[0033] Attention now turns to the dimensions of the laser package. According to one embodiment, the diameter of the header can 300 is preferably smaller than 0.295 inches. The height of the header can 300 is preferably smaller than 0.225 inches. When the header can 300 is mated with the header subassembly 100, the resulting laser package may have a height of approximately 0.265 inches, excluding the leads 104. In one preferred embodiment, the housing 100 has the same size as a convention transistor outline housing and the header can 300 has the same size as the header can of a conventional transistor outline housing for a laser diode or photo-diode. A person of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of this disclosure will appreciate that the present invention is adaptable to various existing or yet to be determined laser package form factors, some of which can be smaller than the dimensions described above.

[0034] In comparison to conventional laser packages with built in temperature controllers, such as “Butterfly” packages, the laser package of the present embodiment is significantly smaller in size, and can be much more easily integrated into many optoelectronic transceiver modules constructed according to standardized form factor requirements. Additionally, the power consumption of the laser package of the present embodiment is lower than that of conventional laser packages with a large built-in heat sink. As such, the laser package of the present embodiment can be more easily integrated into optoelectronic transceiver modules that have power consumption restrictions.

[0035]FIG. 6 illustrates a laser package 400 in accordance with the another embodiment of the present invention. Laser package 400 has an active temperature control device 500, which is also shown in FIG. 7. In contrast to the active temperature control device 200 shown in FIG. 4, the active temperature control device 500 has a recessed ledge 506 in its top portion 502 for receiving the thermistor 504. Placing the thermistor 504 on the recessed ledge 506 enables the laser emitter 106, which is positioned on the surface 508, to be placed close to the window 304 when the header can 300 is mated with the header subassembly 400. In particular, because the thermistor 504 is not located between the active temperature control device 500 and the window 300 of the header can 300, the active temperature control device 500 can be sized so as to position the laser emitter 106 closer to the window 304 of the header can 300. Alternately, the header can 300 may be resized (i.e., made shorter) so as to position the window 304 closer to the active temperature control device 500. Placing the laser emitter 106 close to the window 304 provides greater flexibility in designing compact, efficient coupling optics between the laser emitter 106 and external optical fibers.

[0036] The present invention, a compact laser package with integrated temperature control, has thus been disclosed. The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention are presented for purposes of illustration and explanation. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical applications, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed.

[0037] Various modifications may occur to those skilled in the art having the benefit of this disclosure without departing from the inventive concepts described herein. Accordingly, it is the claims, not merely the foregoing illustration, that are intended to define the exclusive rights of the invention. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A laser package, comprising: a housing having a window; a laser emitter disposed in the housing and aligned with the window such that optical signals emitted by the laser emitter are transmitted through the window without a waveguide; and an active temperature control device disposed within the housing, the active temperature control device operable to regulate temperature of the laser emitter.
 2. The laser package of claim 1, wherein the housing has a transistor-outline shape.
 3. The laser package of claim 2, wherein the housing comprises: a header structure; and a header can coupled to the header structure, wherein the window is located at the header can.
 4. The laser package of claim 1, wherein the active temperature control device comprises a platform disposed on the header subassembly, the platform comprising: a base; and a surface that is substantially perpendicular to the base; and a laser submount disposed on the surface and configured to affix to the laser emitter.
 5. The laser package of claim 4, wherein the active temperature control device comprises thermoelectric elements configured to regulate temperature of the laser emitter.
 6. The laser package of claim 4, further comprising a temperature measuring device mounted on the platform close to the laser emitter, wherein the temperature measuring device is operable to measure temperature of the laser emitter.
 7. The laser package of claim 4, wherein the platform has an L-shaped cross-section with a top surface that is substantially parallel to the base.
 8. The laser package of claim 7, further comprising a temperature measuring device mounted on the top surface close to the laser emitter, wherein the temperature measuring device is operable to measure temperature of the laser emitter.
 9. The laser package of claim 7, wherein the platform has a recessed ledge proximate to the top surface.
 10. The laser package of claim 9, further comprising a temperature measuring device mounted on the recessed ledge close to the laser emitter, wherein the temperature measuring device is operable to measure temperature of the laser emitter.
 11. The laser package of claim 4, further comprising a light intensity sensing device mounted on the platform, the light intensity sensing device operable to measure intensity of the optical signals emitted by the laser emitter.
 12. The laser package of claim 11, wherein the light intensity sensing device comprises a photo-diode.
 13. A laser package, comprising: a housing having a window and a plurality of leads each having a first end and a second end, wherein the first ends are located within the housing and wherein the second ends are located exterior to the housing; a plurality of optical components disposed in the housing, the plurality of optical components comprising a laser emitter that is aligned with the window such that optical signals emitted by the laser emitter are transmitted through the window without a waveguide; an active temperature control device disposed within the housing, the active temperature control device operable to regulate temperature of the laser emitter, the active temperature control device having a plurality of bond pads for receiving control signals and power; and a plurality of bond wires coupling the bond pads and the plurality of optical components to the first ends of the plurality of leads.
 14. The laser package of claim 13, wherein the active temperature control device comprises: a top portion; a plurality of thermoelectric elements coupled to the top portion; and a base coupled to the plurality of thermoelectric elements and affixed to the housing.
 15. The laser package of claim 14, wherein the laser emitter is coupled to the top portion.
 16. The laser package of claim 14, wherein the optical components further comprises a photo-diode affixed to the top portion and operable to detect intensity of optical signals emitted by the laser emitter.
 17. The laser package of claim 14, further comprising a thermistor affixed to the top portion and operable to detect temperature of the laser emitter.
 18. The laser package of claim 14, wherein the top portion has an L-shaped cross-section.
 19. The laser package of claim 14, wherein the top portion has an L-shaped cross-section with a top surface that is substantially parallel to the base and a recessed ledge proximate to the top surface.
 20. A laser package, comprising: a header structure comprising a plurality of leads each having a first end and a second end; a header can configured to mate with the header structure to form a housing of the laser package, the header can further comprising a window located approximately at a center of the header can, wherein the first ends of the plurality of leads are located within the housing and wherein the second ends of the plurality of leads are located exterior to the housing; an active temperature control device disposed within the housing and affixed to the header subassembly, wherein the active temperature control device comprises base affixed to the header subassembly, a plurality of thermoelectric elements coupled to the base, and a top portion that is coupled to the thermoelectric elements, and wherein the base has a plurality of bond pads; a laser emitter affixed to the top portion of the active temperature control device and aligned with the window such that optical signals emitted by the laser emitter are transmitted through the window without a waveguide; a thermistor affixed to the top portion close to the laser emitter; a photo-diode affixed to the top portion and oriented to detect intensity of optical signals emitted by the laser emitter; and a plurality of bond wires configured to connect the bond pads, the laser emitter, the thermistor, and the photo-diode to the first ends of the leads, and wherein the plurality of leads have different lengths.
 21. The laser package of claim 20, wherein the leads are made of a material that comprises Kovar.
 22. The laser package of claim 20, wherein the bond wires are made of a material that comprises gold.
 23. The laser package of claim 20, wherein the top portion and the base of the active temperature control device are made of a ceramic material that comprises Beryllium Oxide (BeO).
 24. The laser package of claim 20, wherein the thermoelectric elements comprise a material including Bismuth Telluride (Bi₂Te₃).
 25. The laser package of claim 20, wherein the header structure and the header can are made of a thermally conductive material.
 26. The laser package of claim 20, wherein the header structure and the header can are made of a material comprising one of Alloy42, cold-rolled steel and Copper Tungsten (CuW). 